The Dhubri police arrested two more officials of Assam’s Panchayat and Rural department for allegedly siphoning off government funds meant for the development of rural areas in Assam’s Dhubri district, police said.
With this arrest on Sunday, the total number of arrests in the case has gone up to four so far.
The accused, who was arrested on Sunday, has been identified as the Gauripur Block Development Officer (BDO) Khabir Uddin Ahmed and accountant of the aforesaid block, Akhirul Islam, respectively.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
Earlier, on August 26, two engineers, identified as Saddam Hussain and Abdullah Al-Masud Mollah, of the Gauripur block development office were arrested from a remote location in West Bengal.
On July 8, 2021, the then chief executive officer of Dhubri Zila Parishad-cum-Project Director of DRDA, Animesh Talukdar registered a case at the Dhubri Sadar PS (No 1097/2021) for siphoning off Rs.52.72 lakh against those who were involved in the corruption in the Gauripur development block in Assam’s Dhubri district.
Also read: Assam: Dhubri police arrests ‘corrupt’ P&RD engineers in West Bengal
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The FIR was initially lodged against three persons including the duo engineers Saddam Hussain and Abdullah Ali Masud Mollah and one contractor Jahidul Hoque respectively.
The allegation against the duo engineers was clearing of bills worth Rs 52.70 lakh while the alleged contractor Jahidul Hoque, identified as the proprietor of Jahidul Enterprises who had not done any work and submitted fake bills to the department.
The bills were also cleared without ascertaining the facts, the sources said.
Based on the written complaint from the then CEO of Dhubri Zila Parishad-cum-Project Director, DRDA, Dhubri Animesh Talukdar on July 8 last, a regular case was registered in this connection bearing 1097/2021 under the relevant sections of IPC at Dhubri Police Station.
An investigation was started and accordingly, the duo engineers were arrested from West Bengal for their alleged involvement in corruption, said police.
“In course of the investigation, the role of involvement in siphoning off the aforesaid amount by the concerned Block Development Officer (BDO) and accountant of the Gauripur Development Block appeared and the duo has been arrested accordingly,” said officer-in-charge of Dhubri Sadar PS, Partha Pratim Gogoi.
Meanwhile, the alleged contractor, Jahidul Hoque is still absconding way and police operation is on in a bid to nab him at the earliest, added police.